Category Archives: Launches

Fifer

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FIFER

I’m hoping today is a wet, rainy day – why?  todays story on the restoration of the 67’ Canadian motor yacht – Fifer, is such a great read.

Fifer was built in 1928 by the Hoffa- Beeching Shipyard in Vancouver BC, the company went on to merge with the Boeing Company in 1929.

Her owners are passionate woody boaters with a long history of classic wooden boat ownership. She is powered by twin 102hp Gardener 6L3, which are over 40 years old & still going strong.

The owners & Fife’s story is told on their weblog – link below.  You will see from some of the photos above she has had a few ‘adventures’ – read her story it’s very addictive reading – Enjoy.

https://www.yachtfifer1928.com/blog/

 

 

Te Anau

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TE ANAU

I was recently contacted by Mike O’Dwyer in regard to boat that is currently visiting Napier, Mike’s home town.

It is called Te Anau, currently owned by Mike and Julie Trewern from Port Chalmers.

Designed by Henry Miller (Miller and Tunnage) originally as a trawler, Te Anau has been converted to a  now a very comfortable live-aboard measuring just over 50’ with a 13’ beam and a 6’ 6” draft.

Te Anau was launched in 1956 after being built at Scotts boatyard in Invercargill from Tallowood, an Australian native timber belonging to the Ucalypt species. It is a naturally oily timber with a high tannin content.

Scotts boatyard mainly used Tallowwood for their boat construction.

The vessel is powered by a 170hp DAF 6 cylinder diesel motor. Originally powered by a GM this engine was replaced by a DAF which after 55,000 hours was replaced by the current engine.

Forty-eight of theses motors were imported in the sixties to power the Chatham Island crayfish boats.

Mike and Julie are currently on a prolonged cruise and after leaving NZ in Sept 2016 have visited Queensland, New Caladonia, Vanuatu and Fiji returning to NZ in November last year.

They plan to cruise for another 18 months which may include another offshore stint.

 

 

 

 

Sister Dora

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SISTER DORA

Just when you think you have heard of all the classic woodys – one drops out of cyber space. Sister Dora is a newbie to me, I discovered her on Lew Redwood’s FB page (ex Akl Museum – Winkelman).

At this stage all I know is that the above photo was dated 7th March 1914 & was taken during a NZPBA race to Cowes Bay, Waiheke Island.

So woodys – the questions of the day – who built her, owned her & where is she today? A Google search only tells me about an Anglican nun 🙂

Input from Harold Kidd – I’ve done a bit more research on this boat since making (slightly erroneous) comments on Lew Redwood’s site.
There were actually four SISTER DORAs, all built for A.H. Bentley, Rear Commodore of the NZ Power Boat Ass around this time. #1 a 26 footer was built in 1909 (probably by Tom Le Huquet) as HALMAX with a HALMAX engine. That must have proved so unsatisfactory that it was pulled out and replaced with a Holliday 10hp 6 months later and the launch’s name changed to SISTER DORA.
#2 was a 32 footer built by Tom Le Huquet for J. Gillett to replace his current ZEALANDIA, and fitted with the Holliday out of HALMAX/SISTER DORA(1). Obviously Bentley didn’t want the Hoiland & Gillett-built Zealandia engine.
#3 was this boat, built by Tom Le Huquet in November 1913 and fitted with a 2 cylinder 8hp Westman engine for which W R Twigg was the agent. Bentley sold her in late 1916 to the Piman brothers of Whangarei. She now had a 12hp Morton engine. They renamed her WILDTHYME.
#4 was built by Collings & Bell in 1916, a 32 footer with (probably) a Doman engine. Bentley sold her to Alan Donald who was badly injured fighting a fire aboard in November 1919 when she was totally destroyed.
#3 soldiered on as WILDTHYME for many years in Whangarei. Selwyn Blake owned her for a while.
I saw the hull of a WILDTHYME at Te Atatu some years ago, but it may have been the 1921 WILDTHYME built by Joe Slattery for the Schneidemann brothers.
What a tangled web we weave……………..

SISTER DORA #4 had a 14hp Westman engine. Bentley and Twigg must have been good mates.

Doreen > Haku > Coquette

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DOREEN > HAKU > COQUETTE

The top photo above (ex Lew Redwood fb > Winkeman – Akl Museum) shows the 1912 Arch Logan built launch Doreen, named after Arch’s sister, later to became Haku & then Coquette (as she is today).

Coquette was the ‘base’ for the Logan 33 f/glass production boats.  In the second photo (ex Alan Good), we see her c.1945, sporting her WWII reporting number – 201. Also of interest in this photo is the addition of the dodger fitted in the summer of 1926/27 during Fred Cooper’s ownership period. Fred also installed a 25/40 sleeve-valve Loew-Knight engine at the same time. (details ex Harold Kidd)

You can see & read more at the links below

Coquette

Coquette 4 Sale

A Woody Sounds Cruiser

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A Woody Sounds Cruiser

The above launch was built in 1960 by Ship Builders & is just over 30’ in length, with a beam of 10’5”. Her zoom zoom comes via a 140hp Perkins diesel. Home port is Picton.

In true broker style there is no reference on the trade listing to the boats name 😦 thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe heads up.

Can one of the southern woodys give us a name & hopefully more details on her past?

 

Wild Duck

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WILD DUCK

The top photo shows the 1932 JB Jukes built motor boat Wild Duck back in c.1937/38 in Wellington in one of her previous lives as a flying boat tender, during what looks like a refueling exercise. ) photo ex Richard Easton’s FB page) You can read & see more on her at the link below.

These days the Wild Duck is the mother ship to the Tino Rawa Trust classic yacht fleet.

The photos below were taken by Dean Wright & show her at anchor in the Bay of Islands.

The duck is a rather wide bottomed girl – I have included a photo of her alongside Raindance for comparison.

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Ruamano

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RUAMANO

The above photos ex the FB page of Lew Redwood show the 1925, 46’,  Collings & Bell built launch Ruamano in February 1926 on an extended cruise of the South Island’s West Coast sounds.

The bottom photo sees her alongside the wharf at Picton & her crew being welcomed in Nelson, her owner / skipper A.H. Courts is on the far left in the photo.

Sadly Ruamano was ‘lost’ (abandoned) at sea in 2000, off the West Coast of the North Island – read / see more at the links below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/02/ruamano/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/03/17/ruamanu/

 

 

 

Aquarius

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AQUARIUS

I have been contacted by Rob Watt who is  wondering if any of the woodys may know what happened to his old boat Aquarius.

She was a 27’ kauri built, with pohutukawa stringers. Some thought it was built in 1928 and may be a Logan.

At the time she was powered by a 60hp Isuzu diesel and around her home port of Tauranga harbor, where she was nicknamed the ‘Flying Pencil’. Rob kept Aquarius at the Sulphur Point Marina & sold her some years ago to a couple who were going to use it on Lake Taupo.

Rob told me that his family spent many a happy time on her when his kids were little and made memorable fishing trips out to Mayor Island.

So woodys, can we help Rob out & uncover what became of Aquarius & possibly some insight into who built her etc?

 

McKenzie Bay – Rangitoto Island

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McKenzie Bay

McKenzie Bay – Rangitoto Island

The above photo show a collection of woodys anchored in McKenzie Bay, the photo is ex an old photo album that Steve Horsley uncovered. The owner of which is unknown.

Can we ID any of the vessels? Steve has sent me a high-res copy of the image & have taken close-ups of the boats (see below).

I’m pretty sure the ‘big’ launch closest to the camera in the 1st photo is Romance II , as to the others, what do you think?

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